How About You ... (2008) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Ellie is a hopeful, well-meaning caregiver who arrives at Woodlane seeking a fresh start. She struggles at first with the residents’ independence and the rules, but quickly forms a bond with Alice. Her willingness to bend rules for compassion shows both her strength and its consequences. By the end, she grows in balancing duty with empathy and decides to spend time with her family after the holiday.

• 👩‍⚕️ Nurse
• 🤝 Friendship
• 🌊 Boundaries

Kate is Ellie’s sister, protective and practical. She arranges for Ellie to stay with the residents during the Christmas period while she tends to their mother. She is concerned with safety and protocol but supports Ellie’s desire to connect with the residents. Her conflicting duties highlight the responsibilities of family and professional care.

• 👩 sister
• 🛡️ Protective
• 🗂️ Responsibilities

Alice is a resident who forms a close bond with Ellie. Her pain and fragility drive Ellie to act with urgency, even if it means bending orders. The river trip and relief she seeks underscore the vulnerability of residents. Her subsequent death becomes a pivotal moment for Ellie’s understanding of consequence and care.

• 💊 Pain
• 🤝 Friendship
• 🌊 River

Donald is a recovering alcoholic and former judge who fills his nights with piano and sharp routines. He insists on a 6am breakfast in his room and resists perceived slights, revealing a crusty exterior. He shares memories of his late wife and the song he plays for her, hinting at regret and unspoken grief beneath his composure.

• 🎹 Piano
• 🕰️ Routine

Heather is one of the Nightingale sisters who masks her insecurity behind a strong, controlling demeanor. She uses deception to shield Hazel, posing as Hazel when communicating with their past to protect her sister. Her fear of losing Hazel drives a quiet, protective, and ultimately reconciliatory path.

• 🧩 Secrets
• 🗣️ Deception
• 🫶 Protection

Hazel is the other Nightingale sister, a talented artist who prefers to be left undisturbed. She is wary of stepping outside but possesses a rich inner world expressed through paintings. Her bond with Heather and her hidden history with her son Simon adds depth to the sisters’ dynamic and highlights resilience through art.

• 🎨 Artist
• 🧭 Guarded
• 🕊️ Family

Georgia is a former actress and singer who embodies living in the moment. She seeks attention and social connection, often entertaining the residents and visiting the pub. After her husband’s death, she returns to a form of performance, finding solace in companionship and the sense that ‘part of the fun’ is reclaiming life together at Woodlane.

• 🎭 Actress
• 🥂 Socialite

Simon is Hazel’s son, whom she had to give up for adoption. He represents a missing piece of Hazel’s past and becomes the object of Heather’s clandestine efforts to connect him back to Hazel. His planned reunion with Hazel anchors the emotional arc around memory and reconciliation.

• 🔎 Reconnection
• 👶 Family

Mr. Evans is a Department of Health inspector who visits Woodlane to assess how the home operates. He is initially shocked by residents staying over Christmas and the casual family atmosphere, but he gradually engages with the residents during the Christmas dinner, revealing the tension between regulation and genuine care.

• 🏢 Inspector
• 🧭 Regulation

The Christmas setting acts as a catalyst for connection among residents and staff. Festive moments reveal vulnerability, generosity, and the desire to belong. Through carols, decorations, and a shared meal, characters bridge gaps and soften long-held tensions.

The film emphasizes chosen family within Woodlane: Ellie and the residents form a makeshift, supportive kinship. The bonds forged across generations help characters heal old wounds and rethink boundaries. Even distant relatives reappear through acts of care and solidarity.

Ellie faces the pull between professional duties and genuine empathy. Her choices—to bend rules for a resident and to stay with the group—highlight the tension between policy and personal conscience. The narrative explores how compassion can both help and complicate caregiving.

Art and music reveal inner lives and forgotten histories. Hazel’s paintings and Georgia’s theatre past surface as powerful memories that keep residents connected to who they were. These expressions help others understand pain, longing, and resilience.